Chereads / Checkmate: The Game of Survival / Chapter 3 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3

As the sky darkened with thick, ominous clouds, the rain poured relentlessly, mingling with the blood staining the ground, where unconscious bodies lay strewn across the desolate scene. The cruel laughter of the boys echoed through the storm, their voices cold and merciless. Nearby, terrified girls struggled to escape, their desperate cries swallowed by the wind and rain, but their fear was palpable in the air, adding to the grim, nightmarish atmosphere.

 

The girl tried to push the boy from Gyeon-suk High away from her, her hands flailing feebly against his chest. But the boy just gripped her tighter, his grip unyielding and bruising as he held her in place.

 

"Let go of me!" the girl shouted, her voice filled with defiance and fear. "You can't do this to me!"

 

The boy from Gyeon-suk High snickered in amusement, his grip only tightening around the girl's wrists as she tried to push him away. He seemed enjoying as he spoke… "And who's going to stop me, huh?" the boy said, his voice mocking as he held the girl in a tight grip. "We're from Gyeon High, and we do whatever we want. You're just another casualty of this game."

 

The girl's eyes widened in terror as she struggled to break free from the boy's grip, tears brimming in her eyes. She looked around desperately, hoping for someone to intervene and help her.

But all she saw were a few boys from her own school lying motionless on the ground, completely unresponsive to the chaos around them. It seemed like no one was going to come to her aid, and the realisation of this only made her struggle harder against the boy from Gyeon-suk High.

 

The girl continued to struggle against his grip, her eyes filled with fear and desperation. She kicked and twisted her body, trying to break free from the boy's grip, but his strength was too much for her.

 

The boy from Gyeon-suk High smirked as he looked down at the motionless bodies of the boys from their school lying on the ground. His voice was taunting and smug as he spoke.

 

"Can't you see? Your school lost. All your boys are out cold, which means your school is ours now. And that means all your students are mine now too."

 

The girl's eyes widened in terror at the boy's words, her heart racing in her chest. She looked around desperately, hoping that someone would prove him wrong, that someone would come to their rescue.

 

But no one came. The school grounds were eerily quiet, with no sign of any teachers or authority figures to intervene. The girl was completely alone.

 

The boy seemed to take pleasure in her fear, his smirk growing wider as he held her wrists tighter. He leaned in closer, his voice low and menacing.

 

"Looks like you're mine now," he said, his tone dripping with smug satisfaction. "You and all the other students from your pathetic school. Gyeon-suk High now owns this place, and that means you belong to me."

The girl's eyes widened even further as she trembled in front of the boy. She knew that there was no use resisting him, and she couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes.

 

The boy noticed her tears and chuckled cruelly. "Look at you, all tears and no fight," he said, tightening his grip on her wrists. "You're nothing but a pathetic weakling, just like the rest of your school."

 

The girl closed her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to hold back a sob. She felt completely helpless and vulnerable in the boy's grip, knowing that there was no way out of this nightmarish situation.

 

"You're completely mine now," he said, his tone smug and satisfied. "You and all the other students from your worthless school. Gyeon-suk High now owns this place and that means you belong to me."

The boy from Gyeon-suk High's smug expression was suddenly wiped away as he was suddenly kicked away from the girl. He was thrown against the wall with a sickening thud, knocking several bricks loose from the impact. The force of the kick was so strong that it knocked him out cold, his body slumped against the wall in an unconscious heap.

 

The girl gasped in surprise as the boy was suddenly yanked away from her and knocked against the wall, creating a loud crack in the concrete. She looked up, stunned, to see who had come to her rescue.

 

The girl looked up, her eyes wide with surprise and relief, to see who had just saved her. The figure that stood in front of her was that of a young male student, broad shouldered and slightly muscular.

 

The boy who had saved her was one of the students of their own school, dressed in the same uniform as her. He stood tall and confident, his eyes fixed on the unconscious figure of the boy from Gyeon-suk High.

 

The boy spoke firmly to the other boys from Gyeon-suk High, who had been laughing and smirking moments before.

"I want nothing to do with your stupid game," he said, his voice low and steady. "Don't lump me in with you guys."

 

The other students from Gyeon-suk High were suddenly taken aback by the boy's words, their smirks and laughter stopping abruptly. One of them spoke up, his tone challenging.

"What do you mean you're not part of this game? You go to this school, don't you?"

 

The boy shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the group of Gyeon-suk High students with a cool and steady gaze.

 

"Yeah, I go to this school," he said. "But that doesn't mean I have to participate in your little game. I have no interest in your stupid school games."

 

The other students from Gyeon-suk High shared confused glances. They weren't used to someone refusing to participate in the game, and they weren't sure how to react.

 

"What difference does it make whether you subscribe to it or not?" one of them asked, his tone mocking. "This is Gyeon-suk High, and you go to this school. That means you belong to us now."

 

The students from Gyeon-suk High suddenly felt a chill run down their spines as they sensed a powerful aura behind them. They turned around to see another boy standing there, munching on a snack in a carefree manner. When they looked around, they saw that the boys who had been standing around them just a moment ago were now all unconscious on the ground, lying in crumpled heaps.

 

The boy, casually munching on his snack, finally broke his silence. "Two of us are still standing," he said, his voice calm but cutting through the tension. "Who said we lost? As long as we're still up, we don't belong to you, dumbass." His eyes narrowed, a smirk forming on his lips. "Isn't that a rule of your game? You only win when no one's left, right?"

 

He glanced at his friend, Yin-Shin, who stood slightly ahead, silent but vigilant. Yin-Shin had just pulled the girl away moments earlier, saving her from the boy's forceful grip. Now, he stood like a shield between her and the chaos, his posture unyielding. Without speaking, his presence alone was enough of an answer.

 

"Yeah," Yin-shin said, his tone dismissive. "Don't lump us into your stupid games." His gaze swept over the scene with a mix of disdain and defiance, making it clear that he had no intention of being part of whatever twisted game was being played.

 

"Let's finish this quickly, Sang-Ji," he urged, his voice steady and resolute. "I know how insane the players of this game can be—they won't back down until they're defeated." His determination was palpable, his focus locked on the task at hand, ready to bring the chaotic confrontation to an end.

 

In no time, Yin-shin words proved true. The Gyeon-suk High boy launched into the fray with relentless aggression, his eyes burning with an unyielding desire to win. There was no hesitation in his movements, only a single-minded focus on crushing his opponents and claiming victory.

But their fervent desire was swiftly crushed by Yin-Shin and Sang-Ji. The two moved with a fluid precision, dodging every attack with ease. It was as if they could anticipate the boy's every move, their responses calculated and deliberate, allowing them to outmaneuver him effortlessly.

 

Sang-Ji then delivered a powerful kick, sending three of the attackers sprawling and knocking them out in a single move. Meanwhile, Yin-Shin remained on the defensive, evading attacks with effortless grace. His focus was elsewhere, his mind occupied with something far more crucial than the immediate battle.

 

Finally, Yin-Shin made his move. With a swift and precise reverse turning kick, he sent a group of Gyeon-suk High boys crashing to the ground. The force of the strike was enough to incapacitate them, leaving them sprawled and defeated as Yin-Shin's focus returned to the battle at hand.

 

Soon, the fight reached its conclusion with the defeat of Gyeon-suk High. All but one of the boys lay unconscious, their bodies scattered across the ground. The remaining boy, barely clinging to consciousness, struggled to draw breath, his attempts to recover a stark contrast to the overwhelming defeat of his peers.

 

As Yin-Shin crouched down to the boy's level, his voice was firm and unyielding. "I'll say it once more," he said. "We are not a part of this stupid game you call carnage. Don't lump us in with it when you go back." His gaze was steady, making it clear that he meant every word.

 

Yin-Shin and Sang-Ji walked away, leaving the school behind. The Gyeon-suk High and Na-Seong High boys lay unconscious, strewn across the ground. Only the girls from Na-Seong High remained, watching the scene unfold. The girl whom Yin-Shin had saved earlier fixed her gaze on him as he walked away. With a mixture of gratitude and awe in her eyes, she softly spoke…

 

 "The ray of hope."